1 Dollar - Elizabeth II Queen in Uniform

Cook Islands has issued commemorative dollars under New Zealand's administrative umbrella since the 1970s, with the program functioning largely as a revenue mechanism through collector sales rather than genuine circulation. The gold-plated steel construction places this firmly in the modern souvenir tier — steel blanks with electroplated surfaces became widespread in the 2000s as a cost-reduction strategy among Pacific island issuers flooding the commemorative market.